Cheryl Gallowitz, a veterinary technician from Newberry, Florida, will have her original salsa recipe debut in Moe’s Southwest Grill[6] restaurants nationwide on Thursday, October 3. Gallowitz entered her creation, dubbed “Three Bears Salsa,” in Moe’s “Raise the Salsa Bar” Facebook contest during the summer of 2012 and won the grand prize of $1,000. One year later, the southwest-style burrito franchise is now ready to unleash the new salsa to customers across the U.S. for a period of six months.

Gallowitz moved to Gainesville from New York four years ago and invented the winning salsa recipe in memory of her favorite cantina back home. She then began serving it at social gatherings to much acclaim and decided to enter the Moe’s contest on a whim when she saw an advertisement in June of 2012.

“It was a really fun experience to be a part of, and I’m excited to see how my salsa turns out in the restaurants,” Gallowitz says. “I’m thankful to Moe’s for even giving me this opportunity in the first place.”

Gallowitz, who works at the University of Florida Large Animal Hospital, says her favorite location is on her way home from work – the Moe’s at 3832 W. Newberry Road near University Avenue. She began going there for the “Moe Monday” $5 burrito promotion. Other Gainesville Moe’s locations can be found on the University of Florida campus at Rec Center Dining and at 3443 SW Archer Road and 7770 W. Newberry Road.

Moe’s Southwest Grill is a fast-casual restaurant franchise featuring fresh, handmade, customizable southwestern food. All meals, including signature items like the Homewrecker burrito, Close Talker salad, and John Coctostan quesadilla, are served with free chips and salsa. While Moe’s is best known for its burritos packed with a choice of over 20 ingredients, the menu also features kid’s, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-friendly options.

“We know the new ‘Three Bears Salsa’ is going to be a hit with our loyal customers,” says Paul Macaluso, chief marketing officer of Moe’s Southwest Grill. “We love interacting with our fans online through social media channels, and this contest gave us the opportunity to help bring someone’s passion to life and translate it into success inside the restaurants.”